. >> you got it. >> chris christie against hillary clinton would be -- >> it would be a barn burner. >> one is careful and professional. the other is a wild swinger, you don't know what he's going to do, overweight, the whole thing. wow, what an election. thank you, michael steele. happy weekend. joy reid, relax this weekend. speaking of chris christie he gets what he's wanting his whole life. this guy is a regular guy in some ways. that's ahead on "hardball," the place for politics. with the spark cash card from capital one, sven gets great rewards for his small business! how does this thing work? oh, i like it! [ garth ] sven's small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! woo-hoo!!! so that's ten security gators, right? put them on my spark card! why settle for less? testing hot tar... great businesses deserve great rewards! [ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? here's your invoice. i tell them dentures are very different to real

chris christie finally meets his idol. the man he's seen in concert more than 100 times. the governor and the boss, bruce springsteen. they're friends now. this is "hardball," the place for politics. approximate nothing melts away the cold like a hot, delicious bowl of chicken noodle soup from campbell's. ♪ let it snow, let it snow bp has paid overthe people of bp twenty-threeitment to the gulf. billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. >>> in the costliest presidential election in u.s. history, the 2012 race saw not $1 billion, but $2 billion spent. president obama and mitt romney each raised over a billion dollars a piece, and that's just the campaigns and party committees. the obama camp raised $1.123 billion while the romney camp spent $1.019 b

electoral votes in states they lose. >>> new jersey governor chris christie finally meets his idol. the man he's seen in concert more than 100 times. the governor and the boss, bruce springsteen. they're friends now. this is "hardball," the place for politics. from our 4,000 television commercials. yep, there i am with flo. hoo-hoo! watch it! [chuckles] anyhoo, 3 million people switched to me last year, saving an average of $475. yeah, i'm kind of a big deal. [sigh] it feels good to help people save... with great discounts like safe driver, multicar, and multipolicy. 731, 732... you want my number, don't you? call 1-800-progressive right now. or visit progressive.com for an extra $50 online savings. thirsty? 'cause i got a six-pack right here. oh, yeah... [voice shaking] you don't even have to wait for your policy to expire to switch. oh, svetlana, that's so good! and, with every policy, you get great service. a-down the hizz-atch. [slurp!] so call me today. you'll be glad you did. cannonbox! [splash!] i'd like to thank eating right, whole grain, multigrain cheerios! mom, are those

. >> can i give you some advice? >> please. >> run christie. thank you. you got it. >> chris christie against hillary clinton would be -- >> it would be a barn burner. >> one is careful and professional. the other is a wild swinger, you don't know what he's going to do, overweight, the whole thing. wow, what an election. thank you, michael steele. happy weekend. joy reid, relax this weekend. >>> speaking of chris christie, he gets what he's wanted his whole life. this guy is a regular guy in some ways. that's ahead on "hardball," the place for politics. >>> welcome back to "hardball." time for the "sideshow." first, governor chris christie, as i said, is an outrageous bruce springsteen fan. he's been to over 100 of the boss' concerts, but self-proclaimed liberal bruce himself hasn't returned the love until lately. last night christie told jon stewart about meeting springsteen at the nbc telethon for hurricane sandy. >> i was on the stage afterwards talking to steve van zandt and max, and all of a sudden they were looking behind me. they moved away and stopped talking. so i turned around, and

" next, new jersey governor chris christie went to the white house today. he went hat in hand. he asked for $36 billion in money for new jersey. wait. isn't he a fiscal hawk? plus, syrian president al assad aaccuses the u.s. of manufacturing stories as a pretext for an invasion. defense secretary leon panetta responding today. after john mack cahfee is in cu, he was rushed to the hospital. and many areas are reporting their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. [ female announcer ] live the regular life. music is a universal language. but when i was in an accident... i was worried the health care system spoke a language all its o

, it's powerful! okay. >>> new jersey governor chris christie visited the white house yesterday, making his case to president obama to get more federal aid for victims of hurricane sandy. president obama's expected to ask congress for an additional $50 billion to help states hit by the october storm, but christie says sandy will cost new jersey alone up to $37 billion. new york governor andrew cuomo and new york city mayor michael bloomberg also made similar trips to d.c. recently to push for more federal support. >>> after a delay noted by none other than "the new york times's" maureen dowd, secretary of state hillary clinton is coming to the defense of u.n. ambassador susan rice, calling her a stalwart colleague. rice is seen as a top pick to succeed clinton in the state department, but is under attack by republicans who accuse her of misleading the public in the aftermath of the september 11th attacks at the u.s. consulate in benghazi. >> and it's important to remember what susan said was based on the information that had been given to every senior official in our administration, and

politics. >>> well, new jersey governor chris christie is making a personal plea for federal disaster aid in the wake of hurricane sandy. the republican governor paid an unannounced visit to the white house to ask the president for $83 billion in aid for new jersey, new york and connecticut. he also met with members of congress. it was their first meeting since touring new jersey disaster areas in late october. >>> tea party leader and some say gop king-maker, senator jim demint of south carolina, is stepping down from congress, this happening on january 1st. demint will become head of the heritage foundation. that's a conservative think tank with an $80 million-a-year budget. demint is just two years into a second six-year term, and south carolina governor nikki haley will appoint his successor. >>> so, 2012 was officially the most expensive election in american political history. the final reports show that spending on the campaign broke the $2 billion landmark and milestone in its final weeks, helping set the record. las vegas casino mogul sheldon adelson and his wife poured more than

pots for us in washington. tracie, thanks. >>> new jersey governor chris christie is making a personal plea for federal disaster aid. the republican governor paid an unannounced visit to the white house to ask president obama for $83 billion in aid for new jersey, new york, and connecticut. he also met with members of congress. it was their first meeting since touring new jersey disaster areas in late october. >>> tea party leader and some same gop king maker senator jim demint of south carolina is stepping down from congress on january 1st. demint will become the head of the heritage foundation. that's a conservative think tank with an $80 million a year budget. demint is just two years into a second six-year term and south carolina governor nikki haley will appoint his successor. >>> well, it sure does sound like a plot out of a tom clancey cold war novel. a rogue navy sailor is accused of selling tracking technology to the russians. nbc affiliate reporter andy fox with wavy has that story. >> reporter: robert hoffman appeared in court wearing a t-shirt with a rooster on it

governor chris christie is asking for 100% reimbursement from the federal government for the costs of emergency response the state faced in the wake of hurricane sandy. christie said in a letter to fema that the economic damage in his state could top $40 billion. he also plans to couple to washington to press his case later this week. both christie and new york governor andrew cuomo are asking for full compensation for their state's efforts. the white house is also expected to ask for more money. >>> and just one month after the election, mitt romney is returning to the business world. the former republican presidential nominee rejoined the board of the u.s. hotel company marriott international. romney served on the marriott board for over a decade stepping down in 2002 before becoming governor of massachusetts and again in 2011 when he launched his second presidential bid. the romney and marriott families have been close friends for generations. romney even named jay, willard marriott, the founder of the company. >>> and returning to health news now. you'll be interested in this. bif

chris christie worked closely with the president. now he's going to washington to ask directly for help. >> with damage like this, stretching for miles, governor chris christie said, new jersey will need $37 billion to repair the damage. >> reporter: after meeting at the white house, christie met with members of congress to tell them what new jersey needs. new york's governor did the same earlier this week. they said the president is committed to helping. >> he knows that our work is not done any more than the work in the states is done. >> reporter: president obama is expected to ask congress for about $50 billion in storm relief. new york, new jersey and connecticut say they need $83 billion. the deans say they would be grateful for a straight answer. >> what should the federal government do? >> cut through the red tape. and get people in line with what they're doing. with congress in the midst of intense budget talks, communities like this know, they may have to fight for every dollar. randall pinkston, wjz eyewitness news. >> and for now, seaside heights residents can only visi

the political fallout. howard dean on chris christie's big decision on the obama care exchange. and apple's ceo breaks big news to nbc's brian williams. >> next year, we will do one of our existing mac lines in the united states. >> tonight, a story of economic patriotism in an era of bain capital with e.j. dionne. good to have you with us tonight, folks. thanks for watching. the reality start to set in on members of the republican party. republican senator jim demint of south carolina is leaving kplil capitol hill to become president of the heritage foundation. don't cry for demint. the out-going president of the heritage foundation made $1.1 million according to 2010 tax filings. demint will do just fine. it's not just about the money. the senator realizes he could be more effective for the conservative movement if he's not attached to the dysfunctional party known as the republican party. in a statement, demint said "i'm leaving the senate now but i'm not leaving the fight. i've decided to join the heritage foundation at a time when the conservative movement needs strong leadersh

dyson join us for the discussion. >>> and chris christie becomes the latest republican governor to reject a state-run health insurance exchange. he's leaving it up to the feds. former governor howard dean will weigh in. stay tuned. people have doubts about taking aspirin for pain. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer. now we need a little bit more... [ male announcer ] at humana, we understand the value of quality time and personal attention. which is why we are proud to partner with health care professionals who understand the difference that quality time with our members can make... that's a very nice cake! ohh! [ giggles ] [ male announcer ] humana thanks the physicians, nurses, hospitals, pharmacists and other health professionals who helped us achieve the highest average star rating among national medicare companies... and become the first and only national medicare advantage company to

people and governor chris christie asking the feds to pay 100% for the damage left by sandy. "newsroom" starts now. >>> good morning. thank you so much for being with us. i'm carol costello. we begin this morning in washington where the halls of congress are a little quieter now that house members have gone home for the weekend. the break comes with 26 days to go until the fiscal cliff deadline and after president obama and house speaker john boehner spoke again by phone but failed to reach a deal. boehner says revenues can be on the table just not in the form of tax hikes on the rich. treasury secretary timothy geithner says that just won't work. >> there's no point to an agreement that involve the rates going up on the top 2% of the wealthy. it's only 2%. >> geithner went on to say that he's fully prepared. the obama administration is fully prepared to go off that fiscal cliff if republicans don't agree to tax hikes on the wealthiest americans. let's bring in congressional correspondent kate bolduan. the white house won't budge on taxes. the republican led house takes a br

media swoop in for a story where president obama and chris christie shook hands and that was supposed to be his great heartwarming moment where they were going to come together to fix things. now a month later there are real problems here and government just simply hasn't been working for a lot o these people. you have stories where there are perfectlily got fema trailers sitting in pennsylvania when they could be put to use in new york or new jersey. >> greta: why aren't they there? >> no one knows. i don't know. you hear people telling stories about filling out forms, people who are approved to use the money to stay at a marriott but not a comfort inn. there are so many problems. it really does call for s some reform of the agency. >> greta: we do have these photo ops after these events. we had governor christie and i know he's been working there every day, but at some point it seems like the cameras go away, the media goes away, the money goes away. all the good wishes about the red tape, that's ignored. >> people are sitting in the dark in their houses with no money for food. you're

the problem, new jersey, governor chris christie. >> greta: they've got to fix the problems and stop relying on the federal government. they're going to constantly need money. >>> president obama gets slammed by a very unhappy citizen. wait to you hear what the sides is saying and you will. you tell us. is he justified. >>> in two minutes, if you think lawmakers aren't doing enough to solve our fiscal problems take a look at this former senator, he's going to extreme measures to avoid the cliff. why does he think this wild video will help? more of the video you can't miss in just two minutes. embarrassed about my skin. [ designer ] enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel®, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability

care markets? hmm. then there's a cost argue um. new jersey government chris christie vetoed a bill to set up a new jersey-run exchange echoing other governors' claims over uncertainty of the cost for the states. how is that california, the state that will run the largest insurance market in the country has not only decided to run its own exchange but has managed to figure out a way to do it without touching a single dollar of its state general fund. hmm. >> finally, let's take the tally. republicans lost their fight against the aca when president obama first signed it. they lost again when the supreme court upheld it. then they lost one last time when the american people handed the president a mandate on aca by re-electing him. when exactly are the republicans going to give up the fight that they've already lost three times? hmm. with me at the table, new york university constitutional law professor, kenji yoshino. donna edwards of marylandment senior fellow, bob herbert and jayening off, the former director of consumer insurance oversight at the u.s. department of health and human se

about this yet, we are going to now quickly. >> do it. >> chris christie making an appearance at the white house. >> best friend forever. >> what is that? he's probably the one in the best position for 2016 at this point. i mean -- >> there's a thing about winning primaries he has to get through. the more he shows up at the white house for holiday party or whatever he's doing there, the harder it's going to be. >> hurricane sandy. >> obviously new jersey still needs help. and he's not helping his political career doing that. a general election, yes. but he does have to face conservative threats in the primaries, not the best way. >> a cynical view of this -- >> sorry. it's holiday season but it's true. >> that's why we have you here. you call it like it is, my friend. that's all for us. thank you. we have to go. but i'll see you back leer tomorrow at noon eastern, 9:00 a.m. pacific joined by ben white, joan walsh, ben smith and msnbc's very own chris heys. until then, follow us on twitter -- wow, having a hard time with the teleprompter. "andrea mitchell reports" next. chris cillizza

only hero from this election besides the president? the only hero? chris christie. the only one running 72%. people of all colors, all ethnic groups, you poll them, i have been in the rooms, i was there recently, they want a peace treaty of some kind to make it work. they don't want a big victory for the left or the right. they want a peace treaty right now. that's what they most want to know, that their parents are getting along. >> i agree with you, chris. >> i'm sorry -- >> i know the president should get a little edge of this because he earned it, some edge. >> he's just asking for rates. that's all he's asking for but the same thing he campaigned on -- >> i'm with you. he's got to get it done -- >> he's got to get it done -- >> you go off that fiscal cliff, you're part of the chaos and you're in the midst of the chaos. >> however he gets there, he will get there. >> okay, captain ahab. thank you, michael steele and steven mcmahon. i'm with michael tonight. drives people crazy. a broken clock is right twice a day. >>> up next, the latest from sarah palin who is never, ever r

own people. chris christie met with president obama to talk about aid following superstorm sandy. and the first family lights up their tree. now let's get you back to "hardball." >>> just to be clear, i'm not going to sign any package that somehow prevents the top rate from going up for folks at the top 2%, but i do remain optimistic that we can get something done that is good for families like this one and that is good for the american economy. >> welcome back to "hardball." today president obama took his fiscal pitch outside the beltway visiting a middle class family in the virginia suburbs. the president's message is resonating with people across america. a new quinnipiac poll proves it. 53% trust president obama and the democrats more to handle the fiscal cliff negotiations. only 36% trust the "r"s in congress. joining me is nbc chief white house correspondent and political director and host of "the daily rundown," anything else you control around here? >> that's enough. >> and "the washington post's" chris cillizza. i think you've been reupped. you're all over the place. you're t

damage, chris christie explains his change of heart to president obama days after the storm and days before the presidential election. check out what he told jon stewart on "the daily show." >> people have different skill sets at different times. >> i see. so he wasn't a leader until you needed leadership. >> maybe until -- maybe until he was presented with an opportunity to lead. >> all right. >> critics call it a step towards union busting. protests against a proposed new labor law in a state known for organized labor. we are live from michigan next. >>> and call it man versus python. the state of florida needs your help to kill thousands of massive reptiles. why does this sound like it may not end well? they're about 10 times softer and may have surface pores where bacteria can grow and multiply. polident is specifically designed to clean dentures daily. its unique micro-clean formula kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria and helps dissolve stains, cleaning in a better way than brushing with toothpaste. that's why i recommend using polident. [ male announcer ] polident. cleane

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. >>> still ahead on "starting point," governor chris christie could have a challenger when his term is up. we'll talk about cory booker about the growing buzz surrounding his political future and she is america's golden girl. gabby douglas will join us later this hour. will tell us how she almost quit right before the olympics. frustrated. wanted to give up her sport and go work at chick-fil-a. hopefully she'll bring her mom in. her mom has been a big help in her life. we'll talk about that. >>> businesswise, what's happening? >> fedex trucks will fill the streets today. the biggest shipping day when they will get your gifts, so many of them, this will be a record day for them. will you get your gifts on time? you will if you are shipping by today. you are watching "starting point." yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. it's lots of things. all waking up. connecting to the global phenomenon we call the internet of everyth

this money ond these automatons. >> look at what chris christie is trying to do. both cuomo in new york could ride all the way to the presidential nomination. getting at the infrastructure. let's hire people to do the work. anybody that goes to europe, they spend twice as much as we do on their infrastructure. our roads are falling apart. i had to pay the pothole tax and have my car realigned. we just had a railroad bridge collapse. our water mains are falling apart. we are going to have another johnstown flood sooner or later, more natural gas pipe explosions like the one we had in san bruno and other places. >> i hear you. i want to be careful we don't think unemployed workers are mostly 40-year-old able bodied men with the capacity to build rhode roads. >> it turns into $48 billion. it turns into a profit. >> as soon as we come back, more on exactly this. the truth about mascara is... it clumps. introducing a revolutionary new mascara. clump crusher...crusher. 200% more volume. zero clumps. new clump crusher from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. [ man thinking ] oh, this gas. those

is not the norm for west virginia. my friend, chris christie, the governor of new jersey, basically had the same feelings about what went on there. it doesn't portray the good people of new jersey and sure doesn't portray the wonderful people of west virginia. i'm not going to say a whole lot more about this. the first amendment gives them that right, i guess. it's a shame we've degrade to this, that this is called entertainment, matt. this is not matt. you coerce and promise a young person fame and fortune, pay them and show them how to be even more outrageous, this is not the norm of west virginia. if you want to come look at the most beautiful state, great people, come on. we would love to have you. you want to go trail riding, hiking, zip lining, white water rafting, we have it all. this is not who we are. >> senator joe manchin, say hi to the folks down there for me, please. >> i will. i will, matt. they miss you. >> i miss them, too. thank you for your time, senator. i appreciate it. >> thank you, matt. >>> up ahead, the woman who survived on snow and tomatoes after she became

marijuana. >>> new jersey's governor chris christie says he may have a challenger when his term is up. mayor cory booker is opening up as well as taking the food stamp challenge. wants that pink cas. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and if it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. start saving at citi.com/pricerewind. >>> hugo chavez is back in cuba today for cancer treatment. he left caracas early this morning. he's been battling cancer for the past year and a half. he underwent surgery and radiation therapy before declaring himself cancer-free in july. before leaving chavez spoke publicly about his health. >> translator: unfortunately, this is how i am telling the country, that in that overall checkup malignant cells show up in the same affected area. we have to review the diagnostic, the evolution of the treatment and we h

since governor chris christie of new jersey had the exact attitude about jersey shore, said no good could come from the show only serves to perpetuate false stereotypes, under pleasant sort of repugnant images. the jersey shore people aren't in new jersey. >> mike: staten island, new york. >> alisyn: thank you. you've got to go deep into jersey to get this. and anyway, joe manchin wants mtv-- he knows it's only going to perpetuate stereotypes of west virginia and here is what he said. instead of showcasing the beauty of our state, you preyed on young people coaxing them into displaying shameful behavior and now you're profiting from it. >> clayton: i lived in west virginia, beautiful, beautiful people and towns and nicest people you would meet and never met anyone that looked or acted like the morons you're seeing in the show. i covered some depressed poverty stricken areas, certainly during floods and i never et met anyone like that. >> alisyn: they weren't doing geller shots and fist bumps constantly. >> clayton: driving around on the back of a truck half naked, wait. >> alisyn: y

governor chris christie is going to ask the federal government to reimburse the state for 100% of the cost of rebuilding from superstorm sandy. christie heads to washington on thursday to meet with federal officials. you know, parts of the new jersey coastline, complete devastated by this powerful storm. you know, governor christie estimates that sandy caused upwards of $20 billion of damages. >>> and the atlanta journal-constitution with more information about dozens of children and adults that were sickened by carbon monoxide poisoning at the local school there. at least 49 people were sent to the hospital yesterday. take a look at this. fire officials believe the heating system failed there. finch elementary had no carbon monoxide detectors, either. which, i guess, they're not required in georgia. and many parents complained they were left in the lurch because of poor communication. soledad o'brien will talk to a student, a parent and also a school official. so we'll get lots of sides there. >> also coming up, amazement and dismay. that's how fedex's ceo is describing the fiscal cl